News and Record

By TOM McLAUGHLIN

News & Record staff

The Henry County Commonwealth’s Attorney who has been appointed as

special prosecutor to oversee an investigation of the Halifax County

Sheriff’s Office confirmed yesterday that the State Police are leading

the probe.

“It is being looked into appropriately by the Virginia State Police,”

said Robert Bushnell of Henry County, who was appointed by Circuit

Judge William Wellons to investigate allegations of missing computer

data at the Sheriff’s Office. “They are looking into it — I can confirm

that.”

Bushnell refused to comment on the status of the investigation but said

he requested help from the State Police shortly after receiving notice

from the court that he had been appointed special prosecutor.

“I felt it was appropriate. I asked for the State Police to look into

this, and they’re looking into it,” said Bushnell. He said he would

wait to hear back from the agency with its findings before determining

any future course of action. “I’m going to wait to hear what the State

Police discover and take it from there.”

Bushell said he has the authority as special prosecutor to request the

State Police’s involvement. Had he been asked to investigate an elected

official, Bushnell said he would have had to submit his request for

State Police assistance to the governor’s office, the Attorney General

or to a special grand jury. But no current elected officials are under

investigation.

Judge Wellons appointed Bushnell after Sheriff Stanley Noblin

approached Halifax Couny Commonwealth’s Attorney Kim S. White to look

into missing data on three computers at the Sheriff’s Office. White

recused herself from the case, citing a conflict of interest as a

county law enforcement officer.

Noblin said in a previous interview that upon taking office, he found

that the hard drives of the three computers at the Sheriff’s Office

were partially or wholly erased. He identified the computer users as

former Sheriff Jeff Oakes, former chief deputy Richard Pulliam and the

office’s administrative assistant.

Noblin also said the missing files may have contained financial

information on the office, although he cautioned at the time that he

and department employees were still unsure of the full extent of

missing data.

Oakes and Pulliam each have denied wrongdoing. Pulliam has stated that

he removed files of only a personal nature from his computer, and Oakes

has said that backups were made of all computer data during his tenure.

Oakes also has said that Noblin refused his offer to meet to ensure a

smooth transition, and had the new sheriff done so any confusion could

have been avoided.

Wellons’ order creating a special prosecutor directed Bushnell to

examine possible violations of the Virginia Computer Crimes Act. But

Bushnell said yesterday that State Police would be “looking into the

overall situation” at the department and the investigation would be

“pretty sweeping.”

“At this juncture it would be highly inappropriate for me speculate

where the investigation could lead. They’re going to look for evidence

and follow it,” he said.